Cup dispensing apparatus



April 3, 1956 V H. cAREw 2,740,551

CUP DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed April '7, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 f1? 5 17far Haw/72m 6 4/ 61 April 3, 1956 H. CAREW 2,740,551

CUP DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed April 7, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 5 18a18a 18a 2:5 &

I I s E E I 1 3 23 Un I W .25 l li -19 April 3, 1956 H. CAREW 2,740,551

CUP DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed April 7, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet s [17 1 2172 U1" Haw/72012 6 07 620 April 3, 1956 H. cAREw 2,740,551

our DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed April '7, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Haw/r2422ape! Fifi/5 United States Patent CUP DISPENSING'APPARATUS Herman Carew,Easton, Pa., assignor to Dixie Cup Company, Easton, Pa., acorporation ofDelaware Application April 7, 1950, Serial'No. 154,713

1 Claim. (Cl; 221-63) This invention relates to cup dispensingapparatus, and particularly to apparatus which. may be effectivelyemployed in the storage and dispensing of disposable conical paper cupssuch as are used at soda fountains and other dispensatories of liquidbeverages and semiliquid confections.

This use of disposable paper cups includes several considerations amongwhich are storage and use of the cups under a high degree of sanitation,and rapidity and ease in the dispensing of the individual cups for use.

Part of these problems were solved-by the invention disclosed andclaimed in my application for patent, Serial No. 510,311, filed November15, 1943, now Patent No. 2,509,132, which provides a cup holder,. thethroat of which embodies means for engaging the exterior of the cup atthe end of a nested stack. and withdrawing the same from the stack inposition for use in the cup holder. This operation is rapidandlinvolves' a minimum of manual efiort. Furthermore, it obviates thenecessity of the operators hand touching the cups, thus contributing tosanitation.

With such type of operation, however, it is necessary that the stack ofcups be restrained from longitudinal movement in order that the holdermay operate to en gage the endmost cup for removal therefrom from thestack. In order to accomplish this restraint against longitudinalmovement of the stack it. has been customary to place the stack ofnested cups on a firm foundation with the points of the cupsextendingupwardly. In dispensing from this stack the holder is invertedto engage and remove the uppermost cup from the stack. This requiresthat the entire stack be left exposed in order to readily present theendmost' cup to the holder as the stack diminishes in height. Such:necessity of the stock remaining exposed is obviously undesirable from asanitary standpoint. Neither does. the use of open unconfined stacksfacilitate the orderly arrangement of a supply of cups such as isrequired for use at a soda fountain or similar establishment.

While the above-described procedure is rapid,v the fact remains that thenecessity of inverting, the cup holder to engage and remove the cuptherefrom also involves extra effort on the part of the operator.

The present invention overcomes.- the foregoing disadvantages by makingit possible to store the stacks of nested cups in enclosed containerswith the bottom portion' of the endrnost cup projecting therefrom inposition to be engaged and graspedby the cup holder without thenecessity of inverting the same prior to such engagement. This desiredend is accomplished by the provision of a mechanism which resistslongitudinal movement of the stack when the holder is pressed over theendm'ost cup and which at the same time permits ready removal of thatindividual cup from the stack;

By using closed containers for the stacksof nested cups to be dispensedit is. alsopossible, in accordance with the present invention, to. mounta pl'uralit'yof such containers on. a single supportingst'and thusconserving 2) space and facilitatingaccess to the various stacks and tovarious sizes of cups carried by such separate stacks. Furthermore, theuse of such closed containers keeps the cups free of dust and" other.foreign-matter thus enhancing maintenance of the cups in. sanitarycondition.

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to providea dispenser for a stack of nested cups wherein the stack is restrainedfrom upward longitudinal movement when upward pressure is. applied tothe lowermost cup of the stack.

It is a further important object of this invention to provide anenclosed container for a stack of nested cups wherein the weight of thestack. is. carriedby means within the container which include means forvresisting upward movement of the stack whenupward pressure is ap-' pliedto the lowermost cup of the stack for engagement at their upper ends andsuspended from standardsv mounted on the stand and having the lowermostcups of nested stacks contained therein projecting, from the lower endsof said containers above the stand; certain at least of said containersbeing provided with dispensing mechanism that restrains longitudinalmovement of the stack within the containers when upward pressure isapplied to the lowermost cup in the dispensing thereof.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the specification and the accompanying drawings. The invention (ina preferred form) is shown on the drawings and hereinafter more fullydescribed.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a supporting stand equipped with aplurality of tubular dispensers closed at their upper ends and-certainof which are. provided with.

the dispensing means of this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation view with parts broken away and parts insection showinga stand equipped with the dispensers of this invention.

Figure 3 is an end elevationview with parts shownin. section of thestand shown in Figure 2 with the dispensing containers carried therebyshown in dotted lines.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of another supporting standv equipped withdispensers embodying. the principles of this invention.

Figure 5 is a side elevation view with parts broken away of the standshown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line VIVI of Figure5.

Figure 7 is an. enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the lineVIIVH of Figure 6 showing the stack restraining means in the positionassumed by its during. filling or loading of a dispensing container.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the stack restrainingmeans in normal stack restraining position.

Figure 9 is a section on" the liheIX-IX of. Figure 6 showing the stackrestraining means in normal position.

Figures 1 to 4, inclusive; illustrate various arrangements of"supporting stands"- which maybe used to carry detachably mountedthereon, a plurality of dispensing containers which are so mounted thatthe endmost cups of stacks of conical cups contained therein are spacedupwardly above the base of the supporting stand and project in adownward direction so that the weight of the nested stack of cupstherein will tend to force the endmost cup of the stack outwardly of thedispensing container as the preceding. endmost cup is removed therefrom.These figures show containers of dilferent diameter which may be used tocarry nested stacks of cups of different sizes and since certain ofthese dispensers need not be adapted for use with dispensing types ofcup holders to be hereinafter referred to, it is not necessary that allof these tubular containers be provided with the improved mechanism ofthis invention.

The stand shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 includes a base member 10,preferably of metal, and conveniently provided with non-slip vacuum cupfoot members 11 which engage the surface on which the stand issupported. Secured to the base member 10 in any suitable manner as bythumb screws 12 are a pair of rectangular uprights 13 which projectupwardly from the base member and alford a support for a verticallyspaced pair of rectangular dispenser supporting frame members 14 securedto said uprights 13 in any suitable manner as by wing nuts 15.

Aflixed to the rectangular frame members 14 in any desired spacing andposition are vertically aligned wedgeshaped socket members 16 which areof less width at their lower than at their upper ends and which areadapted to detachably receive wedge-shaped bosses 17 attached to theside walls of tubular container members 18 in which nested stacks ofconical cups 19 are carried. The tubular container members 18 arepreferably provided with removable covers 18a to permit of the insertionof a stack of nested cups therein with the points downwardly said coversto be thereafter replaced to prevent ingress of dirt and other foreignmatter into the interior of said containers.

It will be further apparent from the foregoing description that theindividual containers 18 may be readily removed from the supportingstand by the mere expedient of lifting the same in an upward directionwhereupon the bosses 17 are withdrawn from the wedge-shaped sockets 16.As shown in Figure 1, the sockets 16 may be mounted on the forward facesof the frame member 14, thus being on the inner faces of said framemember at the rear of the stand and on the forward faces of said framemember at the front of the stand. Said sockets 16 may be attached to theframe members by riveting, welding or in any suitable manner. As shownin Figure 1 the frame 14 may carry a relatively large number of thetubular members 18, certain of which may be equipped with standarddispenser mechanisms well known in the art, and certain others of whichmay be equipped with the improved dispensing mechanism to be hereinafterdescribed.

Figures 4 and show a somewhat difierent supporting stand arrangement,the stand here comprising a base member 20 with a centrally positionedupright supporting member 21 secured thereto, preferably at the centerof said base member. Non-slip members 11a similar to the members 11previously described may be provided to cushion the base 20 to preventslipping thereof on its supporting surface.

Secured to each face of the support member 21 is a socket member 16aidentical in construction with the socket members 16 previouslydescribed. Here again these socket members 16a are secured to thesupport member or standard 21 by means of screws, rivets, welding, or inany suitable manner. If desired, similar support members 16a may beaflixed to the standard or support member 21 in vertical alignmenttherewith, longitudinally spaced therefrom and approximately at amidpoint of the standard or support.

In the structure shown in Figures 4 and 5 four dispensing containers arecarried by the supporting stand 20-21. As in the previous structurethese dispensing containers are so carried that the endmost cups ofnested stacks of cups carried thereby are positioned at a point wellabove the upper surface of the standard. In the structure shown in thesefigures I have illustrated dispensing containers in pairs of differentsizes so as to have available to the operator within convenient reachrequired different sizes of cups to be dispensed. In Figures 4 and 5 Ihave designated the larger dispensing containers by reference numerals18b and their covers by the reference numerals 18c. Except for adifierence in size, however, these dispensing containers are identicalwith the dispensing containers 18-18a previously described. The

endmost cup of the stacks of cups contained within dis-v pensingcontainers 18b has been designated by the reference numeral 19a.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the supportingstands for the dispensing containers of this invention aiford a veryflexible arrangement for conveniently supporting and mounting aplurality of dispensing containers to hold nested stacks of cups ofdiiferent sizes. desirable result of holding the endmost cup well abovethe base of these supporting stand where it may be en gaged by a cupholder for removal of the endmost cup from the stack in accordance withthe invention disclosed in my application Serial No. 510,311, now PatentNo. 2,509,132 aforesaid.

As shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, a cup holder 22 is as positionedby the operator in the withdrawal ofthe endmost cup 19 from the nestedstack of cups contained within the tubular member 18. This cup holder22, which is of hourglass shape, is open at both ends and the upperportion of its interior is so shaped as to conform to the exterior ofthe end of the conical cup 19 carried thereby. When the operator placesthis cup holder 22 over the end of the endmost cup of the stack andexerts an upward pressure, the exterior of the cup is engaged by protuberances shown diagrammatically at 22a within the interior of theholder and those protuberances elfect such frictional engagement withthe exteriorsurface of the cup that upon downward movement of theholder, the cup is withdrawn from the stack while being retained in itsposition within the holder. The initial movement of this operationrequires application of an upward force, or a force inwardly andlongitudinally of the container. If the cup holder is to operatesatisfactorily in its engagement with the cup for withdrawal from thestack, it is obvious that longitudinal movement of the stack of cups inresponse to such upwardly or inwardly directed force must be restrained.This desired result is accomplished in accordance with the presentinvention by means of the structure illustrated in Figures 6 to 10,inclusive, and will now be described. Referring to Figure 6 it will benoted that the lower end of the tubular member 18 is pressed inwardlyalong four equal spaced sections of its circumference to provide whatamountto guiding shoulders 23 and restricting walls 24 which tend tomore accurately position the lower end of the stack of nested cups 19within the tubular member. The restricting walls 24 terminate in furtherinwardly extending shoulders 25 substantially coextensive in length withthe shoulders 23 and positioned directly beneath the same, saidshoulders 25 being so positioned as to engage sections of the rim of thelowermost cup 19 and thus support the nested stack of cups within thecontainer. The diametrical distance between oppositely positionedshoulders 25 is such that only a portion of the rim of the lowermost cupoverlaps the shoulders (see Figure 6) wherefore upon slight distortionthe lowermost cup may be readily withdrawn past the rigid ornon-yielding shoulder and past portions of the container 26 dependingfrom such shoulders 25 for individual dispensing of such cup. Thisprocedure and arrangement as to the individual dispensing of cupsFurthermore, these supporting stands achieve the from the containers 18is in general accord with procedure heretofore followed in theindividual dispensing of cups from. nested stacks of cups mounted withinsimilar tubular containers.

As previously noted, however, when longitudinal force upwardly andinwardly toward the container is applied to the endmost cup 19 of thestack of nested cups within the container, such force will tend to movethe nested stack of cups within the container longitudinally upwardlyand inwardly and thus prevent efiective gripping of the cup by the cupholder 22.

The mechanism of this invention shown in detail in Figures 6 to 10,inclusive, is provided for restraining and preventing this inward andupward longitudinal movement of the nested stack of cups when suchexternal inward and upward force is applied to the endmost cup by thecup holder.

The mechanism so provided is mounted within housings 27 positioneddiametrically opposite each other and suitably secured to the exteriorof the tubular member 18 as shown in Figures 6 to 10, inclusive. Securedwithin each of the housings 27 is a shaft 28 which provides a pivotalsupport for a pair of pawls 29 of identical con struction, the pawls 29being mounted on the shaft and spaced from the end walls of the housing27 by spacers 30. Each of the pawls 29 is provided with an inwardlyprojecting foot member 29a which is adapted to be engaged between therims of adjacent cups in the nested stack of cups 19 as shown in Figure8 and when so engaged will resist upward and inward movement of thatnested stack when an upward and inwardly directed longitudinal force isapplied to the endmost cup of the stack. Said pawls 29 are normally heldin the position shown in Figure 8 by flat leaf springs 31 which engagethe outside of the pawls as shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9, and which aresecured between the lower flange 27a of the housing 27 and the exteriorsurface of the tubular member 18 by rivets 32. The free ends of the leafsprings 31 project upwardly into a recess between the rear side of thepawl 29 and a stop 2% formed as a tail member on the pawl and integraltherewith, which upon inward movement of the pawl to the dotted lineposition shown in Figure 9, engages the inner side of the leaf spring31, thus limiting inward and upward movement of the pawl.

Figure 7 illustrates the position of the pawls 29 and the feet 29athereof as the nested stack of cups 19 is being placed in the container.It will be noted that during this operation the feet 29a of the pawlsare pushed outwardly against the action of the spring 31 to permit thenested stack of cups to assume the position shown in Figure 8 at whichtime the springs 31 force the pawls inwardly so that the feet 29athereof engage between the rims of adjacent cups in the nested stack andby reason of such engagement resist upward movement of the stack when anupwardly and inwardly directed force is applied thereto as by theapplication of a cup holder to the endmost cup for the removal of a cup.

When the dispensing container 18 is empty, or substantially empty, sothat the upper cup of the remaining stack is beneath the foot of thepawl 29, then the pawl under influence of the spring 31 assumes thedotted line position shown in Figure 9. With the pawls in that po sitionthey are first engaged by a new stack of nested cups which is beinginserted into the tubular member 18, forced to the position shown inFigure 7, and finally when the endmost cup of that stack engages theshoulder 25 reassume the position shown in Figure 8 under the influenceof the spring 31. It will thus be noted that the provision of thesepawls for restraining movement in an inward longitudinal direction in noway interferes with the replenishment of stacks of nested cups withinthe depenser.

At the same time it will be observed that when the pawls 29 with theirfeet 29a are in operative position,

they do. effectively resist upward and inward movement of the stack inresponse to a force applied to the endmost. cup in that direction. Byreason of this arrangement and the restraining of such" inward force,the cup holder 22 may be engaged against the endmost cup of the stackwith sufiicient force to cause frictional or distorting engagement ofthe protuberances or other inward extensions 22a with the exterior ofthe endmost cup and thus permit the subsequent Withdrawal of that cupfrom the stack past the shoulders 25 while it is still retained withinthe cup holder in position for prompt use.

It will thus be noted that this invention makes it possible to use suchcup holder method of dispensing of stacks of nested cups which arestored within closed containers to prevent access of dirt and otherforeign matter to the cups contained therein. At the same time thesupply within the individual containers may be readily replenished bythe simple expedient of removing the cover and inserting a new stack. Byreason of the fact that the points of the cups extend downwardly it isnot necessary that the operator invert the cup holder in order toposition a cup therein and withdraw the same from the nested stack.

While I have shown dispensers wherein the feed of the cups to theshoulders 25 is due to gravity and is by reason of the weight of thecups in the nested stack, it will be obvious that this invention mightbe applicable to dispensing containers held in other than a verticalposition with the force of gravity for feeding the cups toward theshoulders 25 supplemented or replaced by follower springs or similarmechanisms well known in the art.

It is understood that details of construction may be varied withoutdeparting from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore,not intended to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise thannecessitated by the scope of the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A paper cup dispenser comprising a stand having a base member forengaging a supporting surface, a support standard positioned and carrieduprightly on said base member, and at least one dispensing containercarried on said support standard, each said dispensing containercomprising a vertically disposed tubular member having a chargingopening at the top end and a discharge opening at the bottom end, acover member for closing said charging opening, said tubular memberhaving radially inwardly extending portions adjacent said dischargeopening forming restricting wall portions for guiding a stack of papercups and terminating in a plurality of circumferentially spaced radiallyinwardly ex tending stop shoulders for underlying the lower side of therim on the lowermost cup in the stack of cups, said stop shouldershaving circumferentially alternate spaces therebetween, whereby slightdistortion of the lowermost paper cup will withdraw the said rim pastsaid stop shoulders, pivot shafts secured to said tubular member ondiametrically opposite sides thereof and being spaced axially adjacentthe discharge opening, a pair of spaced pawls on each respective pivotshaft, each pawl having a lever arm portion pivotally carried by acorresponding pivot shaft and terminating in a foot member extendingtowards the discharge opening, each said foot member having a lowerconcave surface and a relatively fiat sharp toe for engaging on andbetween adjoining cup rims, and resilient means operatively connectedbetween said tubular member and said pawls biasing said pawls radiallyinwardly into position to resist inward and upward movement of the stackof cups by transmitting cup-setting thrusts applied to the lowermost cupto the tubular member, said pawls being displaced radially outwardlyagainst the biasing force whenever the stack of paper cups isreplenished or moves to replace a lowermost cup in outwardly projectihgrelatibn to the discharge opening.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5Henvis June 29, 1915 Luellen Apr. 20, 1920 Bergman July 13, 1920Bergmarm July 19, 1927 10 8 Wessman Dec. 19, 1933 Reifsnyder Oct. 2,1934 Wass'erlein Mar. 9, 1937 Carew Dec. 27, 1938 Balton Feb. 18, 1941Turnbull Mar. 25, 1941 Terry et a1. Dec. 26, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS FranceMay 18, 1911

